Fewer teachers retired, resigned; district plans to add teaching positions for 2018-19 year

Teresa
Bryant works with her AP calculus class May 10 at Lee High School. Midland ISD
officials said that because fewer teachers resigned or retired, they are ahead
of schedule in hiring for the 2018-19 school year.

Teresa Bryant works with her AP calculus class May 10 at Lee High School. Midland ISD officials said that because fewer teachers resigned or retired, they are ahead of schedule in hiring for the 2018-19

Midland ISD officials said this week that they are ahead of previous years when it comes to filling the teaching vacancies for the upcoming school year.

The district was about 85 percent staffed, as of May 31, according to numbers provided by MISD. The district appears to have benefited from the fewest retirements/resignations in at least the last three years. There were 36 fewer resignations and retirements compared to last year, according to its retirement/resignation report.

“Compared to last year, this is a 9 percent reduction in staff leaving the district this year,” wrote Woodrow Bailey, executive director of Human Resources for MISD, in an email to the Reporter-Telegram.

Bailey also said that campus administrators have hired 49 more teachers this year, compared to the same period last year.

The district is planning to increase its teaching positions from 1,581 this year to 1,612 for the 2018-19 school year. The additional 31 positions are needed to because of the increased attendance that is expected, Bailey wrote. At 85 percent staffed, about 220 teachers will be hired before the school year begins in August.

Of the 303 retirements/resignations (as of May 31), the district reports less than 15 percent retired. The district provided the Reporter-Telegram the following breakdown:

- Family obligation 74

- Other reasons 57

- Personal 55

- Retirement 44

- Other educational employment 42

- Health 14

- Entering the private sector 11

- Spouse transferred 3

- Job abandonment 1

- Terminations 1

- Deceased 1.

The 303 retirements/resignations (as of May 14) are less than the 339 during the 2016-17 school year and summer period and 75 fewer than the 378 in 2015-16.

In each case, the most teachers retire or resign during the month of June. Again, that number this year (217) is down compared to the last two school years (279 in June 2017 and 319 in June 2016). The district also reports that more than 46 teachers retired or resigned in December and January of this past school year -- an increase from 25 in 2016-17 and 19 in 2015-16.